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Wrapping Up Membership Engagement Focus Month: Stronger Together

July was a remarkable month for our Membership Engagement Committee. We set out with a clear purpose: to bring our Flight Attendant community closer together, share valuable resources, and build authentic connections throughout our system.

Over the past four weeks, we explored what it means to be engaged in our AFA family. We kicked things off with the campaign launch and a look back at our Committee’s history, then offered behind-the-scenes insights from our MEC Town Halls. We interviewed our MEC Committee Chairperson to deepen our understanding of the Committee’s mission. We spotlighted how your feedback shapes our work, pointed you to resources like the AFA Membership Hub, and showed how to get the most out of the AFA Online Learning Academy. We wrapped up by outlining practical ways you can take that next step and become an AFA volunteer.

Key Takeaways from Our Focus Month

  • Engagement is Peer-to-Peer: Our Committee Members are fellow Flight Attendants here to support you. Together, we’re committed to creating a strong, Member-driven community where we lift each other up and grow together.
  • Your Voice Drives Our Union: Your input shapes our direction. Whether you participate in Town Halls or connect with us directly, your perspectives are the driving force behind meaningful change.
  • Keep The Momentum Going: The campaign ends, but the work doesn’t. Whether you visit afaalaska.org to stay up to date on the latest news or get involved with volunteer opportunities, there are countless ways to stay engaged and help shape our Union’s future.

Watch: A Special Closing Message

To celebrate the conclusion of our Membership Engagement Committee Focus Month, we’ve created a special video featuring MEC Membership Engagement Committee Chairperson Mischelle Fielsch and our Local Membership Engagement Committee Chairpersons. We invite you to take a few moments to watch and hear firsthand how the connections we’re building are shaping the future of our Flight Attendant community.

Click here to watch on YouTube ➔

Thank you to everyone who watched our videos, checked out our posts, engaged on social media, and shared your feedback. Your participation is what makes our Union strong.

If you missed any content or want to revisit a resource, please visit the Membership Engagement Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website, check out our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian social media channels, or reach out to your Local Membership Engagement Committee. Let’s keep this momentum going!

Benefits Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Wednesday, July 22, our pre-merger Alaska Benefits Committee Chairpersons met for their regular monthly meeting. This meeting was an internal AFA-only meeting and did not involve management. 

Representing you at the meeting were Ava McWilliams Ellington (LAX), Linda Gunselman (PDX), Sonia Quackenbush (SAN), Kathy O’Malley (SEA), and Julie Pearson (SFO). MEC Benefits Committee Chairperson Dianna Ripley also attended and facilitated the discussion.

The next Benefits Committee Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19.

Discussion Topics

The Committee reviewed challenges in leave processing and discussed administrative protocols to improve Member communication, documentation, and consistency. These included:

  • Google Workspace Training: The Committee was joined by MEC Communications Committee Chairperson Brian Palmer, who conducted a training session on best practices for use of Google Workspace. Information was shared to improve the Committee’s use of Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and Chat to better coordinate work and more effectively represent Members.
  • June Committee Metrics: The Committee addressed a high volume of cases, particularly those related to medical and on-the-job injuries. The group raised concerns about systemic issues such as Kaiser benefit terminations for employees returning from leave and payroll deduction errors. We encourage all members to verify their benefit enrollment status promptly upon returning from leave.
  • Policy Advocacy: The Committee discussed the challenges caused by management’s practice of running Workers’ Compensation and FMLA leave concurrently, which forces Flight Attendants to use personal sick leave for appointments. Advocacy to change this policy is currently being pursued through the Joint Negotiating Committee.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Committee Resource Development: We are building a central resource hub for Benefits Committee Members on the internal AFA representative website. By organizing tools and resources in one location, we will be able to assist Flight Attendants more efficiently and effectively.
  2. Maternity Benefits Gap: The Committee is actively pursuing solutions to the potential gap in maternity benefits that can arise when a Flight Attendant begins leave at 29 weeks, especially when coordinating Short-Term Disability and state-paid leave benefits in Washington.
  3. ILOA Handbook Update: The Committee has submitted recommendations for the ILOA Handbook and is awaiting management’s final review.

We Want To Hear From You!

We’re focused on ensuring every Flight Attendant receives accurate information, timely support, and clear guidance when navigating complex benefit and leave situations. If you have questions about the leave process, please connect with your Local Benefits Committee as early as possible. Reaching out before issues arise helps us provide timely guidance and ensures you can make informed, confident decisions about your benefits.

Every question, concern, or suggestion you share helps us advocate more effectively with management and ensures that we focus on what matters most to you. If you have questions or ideas, we encourage you to contact your Local Benefits Committee. Our contact information is always available on the Benefits Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website.

AFA News in Review – July 31, 2026

In This Edition

  • Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026
  • Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy
  • Shared on Social
  • Next Week’s Events

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

Originally posted July 28, 2026

Pre-Merger Alaska

This month, our pre-merger Alaska Scheduling Committee Chairpersons challenged management on operational concerns, including high reserve utilization, persistent staffing challenges, and localized base issues ranging from hotel usage to trip visibility. Read more about how the Committee is pushing for accountability on outstanding pay grievances and irregular operations mitigations to protect our schedules and improve the daily quality of life for Flight Attendants.

Read More >

Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

Originally posted July 29, 2026

Strengthening our collective voice begins with understanding how our Union operates, and we’re excited to empower you with that knowledge through the AFA Online Learning Academy. Designed to fit into our unpredictable schedules, this platform offers self-paced courses on everything from labor history to the AFA structure, ensuring you can learn whenever it’s convenient for you.

Read More >

Shared on Social

Check out this week’s highlights from our social media! Click on a graphic below to view the original post on Instagram. Be sure to follow us for the latest updates and news as we share it!

Originally posted July 27, 2026

Next Week’s Events

Thursday, August 6pmAS Reserve Webinar (Register Here) 

See the MEC Event Calendar >

Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

As part of Membership Engagement Committee Focus Month, we’re excited to spotlight one of our core missions: empowering you with knowledge and confidence to participate more fully in our Union. When we understand how our Union works, we strengthen our collective voice and create a more engaged community.

To help you on this journey, we’re excited to introduce a powerful resource: the AFA Online Learning Academy at afalearning.org. This platform is built to open doors for every Member by offering accessible education that lets you get involved on your own terms—wherever you are, whenever you’re ready.

What’s Available On The Academy

The AFA Online Learning Academy features a diverse course catalog where you can choose the topics that interest you most. You can explore subjects such as:

  • Union structure and history
  • Committee work and leadership
  • Labor history
  • Communications, safety, and much more

Real empowerment comes from making education truly accessible to everyone. The academy lays a strong foundation for you to build your knowledge and become a more active, confident participant in our Union. Some of the key benefits include:

  • No Experience Needed: Whether you’re curious about how our Union works or considering getting involved, this is the perfect place to start. You don’t need to be a committee volunteer or AFA officer—everyone is welcome.
  • Zero-Pressure Learning: Every course is self-paced, so you can learn at your own speed—no deadlines, no pressure.
  • Fits Your Schedule: Life on the line is unpredictable. Whether you have 15 minutes between flights or a little extra time at home, you can log in and learn whenever it’s convenient for you.

How To Access The Site

Getting started is simple and takes just a few clicks:

  1. Head over to afalearning.org.
  2. Create your account if you are a first-time user.
  3. Start exploring the course catalog and dive into the topics that interest you.

Watch Now: Discover The AFA Online Learning Academy

Curious to see the academy in action? Watch this short video with Nona Diaz and Meredith Havens, your Membership Engagement Chairpersons for Council 30 in Anchorage. They’ll walk you through how they found this resource, how easy it is to use, and why it’s such a valuable tool for all our Members. Take a few minutes, watch the video, and see what’s possible!

Click here to watch on YouTube ➔

Scheduling Committee Meeting Recap – July 2026

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants

On Tuesday, July 21, our pre-merger Alaska AFA Scheduling Committee Chairpersons and Representatives met in person at Alaska Global Training Center to discuss their ongoing work to represent our Flight Attendants and push for improvements in our workplace. Representing you at the meeting were Rebekah Olds (ANC), Rita Tillou (SEA), Melodie Anderes (PDX), Jaqui Bellenie (SFO), Kanako Yamado (LAX), and Kitty Cohen (SAN). MEC Scheduling Committee Vice Chairperson—Pairing Construction Karen Ferrell, PBS Committee member —Krystal Kehrli, MEC Grievance Committee Payroll Representative Julie Thornton, and MEC Scheduling Committee Chairperson Jake Jones were also present.

The Committee met with Managing Director of Inflight Performance & Crew Scheduling Sara Cook, Director of Inflight Crew Scheduling Terrance Chariandy, Manager of Inflight Crew Scheduling Goose Hlaingmyint, Managing Director of Ops Staffing and Resource Management Brittany Audette, Director of Crew Planning Trisha Bennett, Manager of Crew Planning Colin Beard, ITS Technical Product Owner Nathan McFerren, Manager of Crew Pay Debbie Bakke and other management representatives from Crew Planning, Crew Scheduling, information technology (ITS), and payroll.

The Committee is next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, August 25.

Topics of Discussion

The Committee reviewed several topics during internal AFA-only conversations and when meeting with management. Some items discussed include:

Upcoming Meetings

  • Meeting Schedule: Regular meetings set for August 25, September 29, October 27, November 24, and December 29.
  • Scheduling Review Board (SRB) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) meetings scheduled through December 2026.
  • JCTE updates are expected in Q3 2026.
  • AI Crew Solutions: Meeting on November 4, 2025, to discuss vacation awards and slot processing. We are moving forward with the implementation process, hopefully this fall in the 4th quarter. 
  • Monitoring: Active monitoring of Flight Attendant OT every 16th of the month at designated times.

MEC Committee Chairperson Report

  • Crew Backlog: Review pending. Need to set up additional dates to review the items that require change requests and bug fixes. The list is short, as most of the items from the prior negotiations have been implemented. 
  • Fatigue Review Board: Scheduled meetings throughout the rest of 2026. This is a bi-weekly meeting. 
  • Pay Disputes: Ongoing discussions regarding pyramiding pay and specific grievances filed by AFA. We recently resolved a dispute with Section 8.F and 8.G and posted the MOU. 

Local Committee Chairperson Reports

  • PDX: Issues with ITS visibility and scheduling blocks for trips.
  • SAN: Concerns about redeye flights and parking fees; requests for a pay chart.
  • ANC: Issues with downgrades, reassignment processes, and hotel room rates.
  • LAX: Reliability of B2B contact and quality of trips under review.
  • SFO: Requests for presentations on open base flying and pay regulations regarding overpayments. .
  • SEA: Various pay and scheduling issues highlighted, including double out crew rest, reassignments and conversions from DHD to working and vice versa. 

PBS Subcommittee Update

  • Bidding Engagement: Good engagement noted for August. 
  • Bid Awards: Processed as expected; higher minimum windows needed to meet management’s desire for higher reserve percentages. 

Alaska ITS Update

  • NAVLBUE Testing: Completed testing of recent updates; ongoing issues with trip visibility.
  • Trading Volume: Notable increase in Open Time trades; stability in trading noted.
  • Jeppesen and Alaska management continue to monitor Flight Attendant trip postings that were reported to have an issue with being visible immediately in the system. 

Alaska Payroll Update

  • Query Counts: Increase in pay queries, with a focus on timely closure before payroll processing.
  • Audit Processes: Weekly audits are in place, but some issues remain unresolved. All inquiries must be closed prior to payroll being processed.  Please wait a week before filing your inquiries on trips, as most of the contractual items are resolved in the audit process. If you have inquiries after payroll processes, the pay analyst will review those as well. 

Alaska Crew Planning Update

  • Staffing Challenges: Anticipated higher absenteeism leading to a need for additional reserves.
  • Operational Changes: Ongoing discussions about schedule changes affecting Flight Attendants’ quality of life.
  • Trip Distribution: Reductions in red-eye duty for September; extensive review of trip pairings planned.
  • The Committee asked management about the 717/737 changes to Hawaii neighbor island flying, and we should see what those pairings will look like in the near future. Crew planning will work with the AFA Scheduling Committee Pairing Construction Subcommittee to determine how the pairings will appear in the system. 
  • Irregular Operations (IRROP) mitigation:
    • SAN start of duty JFK/BOS/IAD/MCO/DCA
    • EWR layovers 12 hours ATC
    • End of duty AM departures EWR to PDX/SEA
    • Increased crew connect times
    • Layover increase to 11 hours PHX/LAS
    • Rest before PHX 11:30 AM departures  – crew rest delays
    • Rest before GEG to PDX start flight increased to 12 hours – crew rest delays
    • End-of-duty DLG and AKN to ANC; summer TSA mitigation.
    • Flight Attendant teaming still in effect.

Alaska Crew Scheduling Update

  • Sick Leave Statistics: Increased sick leave noted; reserve utilization remains high on mainline Alaska.  Sick leave and fatigue are much lower on the Hawaiian operational side. 
  • Premium Compensation: Adjustments to premium compensation based on significant events and operational demands. We are seeing some premium posted a week in advance to help allow Flight Attendants to pick up earlier to assist with operational needs. 
  • New Leadership: Recent changes in management structure to enhance scheduling operations. Tiara Taulolo started as a temporary supervisor on June 20, and Jacob Fordham started as a new manager on July 20. Alaska crew scheduling plans to have approximately 48 crew schedulers in the department by the end of the year. A few new crew scheduler classes are planned in September (14 new hires) and October (5 new hires)
  • Statistics July MTD: There have been no personal drops or TSN adjustments. 10.R.4 reassignments for the system are at 553.  Deadhead conversions under 10.X.7 are at 287 system wide. Fatigue Reports are shown 24, with 18 of those reserves. Alaska reserve utilization for the system is 93.6%, while Hawaiian is 50.6%. Sick leave for Alaska, both lineholders and reserves, is at 12.4%, with some days having over 400 sick calls.

What The Committee Is Working On

  1. Resolving Pyramiding Pay Disputes: Discussions are ongoing through the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) process to clarify payment rules for over-duty pay and day-off violations. Our Grievance Committee is filing grievances regarding several concerns with pyramid pay. These discussions are still ongoing with Labor Relations management. AFA has filed several grievances and still has not received a pyramiding pay chart from payroll or labor relations and our requests go unanswered. 
  2. Vacation Bidding: Representatives from the Committee met with management to discuss the new vendor, AI Crew Solutions. It was determined that when a Flight Attendant either doesn’t hold a bid or forgets to bid, they will be allowed to bid in the 2nd round of vacation. The current process assigns slot 1 and slot 2. We will provide educational material and information when bidding begins next year on the new platforms. We have additional meetings to discuss implementation and buddy bidding. We are currently testing and reviewing the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) environment. This is scheduled for implementation in the 4th quarter of 2026. 
  3. Flow Charts: These are posted on the AFA website to help guide you through contractual understanding and irregular ops here: 2025-2028 AFA Alaska CBA Reference Documents 01.26.2026
  4. Block2Block (B2B) Contactability: Implemented on February 1, 2026. Please familiarize yourself with the contractual language and bulletin bundle. Every Flight Attendant must check B2B at the end of every duty period (not trip) and make positive contact if a message is sent prior to block-in of the last flight of the duty period per §8.Q.2.e. We are actively working with management to post an updated bulletin. 
  5. Compensation: Follow up on crew pay issues and reassignment policies. Please give Flight Attendant Crew Pay a minimum of a week to update compensation for irregular operations. 
  6. Pairings: Continue to address pairing and scheduling concerns with management.
  7. Software: Monitor upcoming software implementations and their impacts on operations. We will have another JCTE update in August 2026. 
  8. Sick Leave Tracking: Continue monitoring sick leave trends and review strategies to mitigate operational impacts. 
  9. Notifications: Addressing communication issues regarding flight changes and notifications. 
  10. AFA Alaska Online Support Center Tickets: Local AFA Representatives do not have access to your schedules, Rainmaker, or pay stubs. When filing a ticket, please screenshot as much information as possible, such as trip details, reports, and Rainmaker buckets, to assist them in their research into your concerns. 

We Want to Hear From You!

Whether you have feedback for the Committee, concerns to share, or items you’d like brought up with management – don’t hesitate to let us know. Your Local Scheduling Committee is here to be your voice to management. You can easily open a support ticket on the AFA Alaska Online Support Center or directly contact us using the information provided on the Scheduling Committee page of the AFA Alaska + Hawaiian website.

That’s a Wrap on Government Affairs Focus Month!

As Government Affairs Committee Focus Month comes to a close, we want to sincerely thank everyone who tuned in, asked insightful questions, and shared resources throughout September. Whether you watched a quick video on the van or started a conversation about voting in the crew lounge, your engagement made a difference. We started this month […]

Human Rights & Equity Committee Meeting Recap – 3rd Quarter 2026

On Wednesday, September 23, 2026, our AFA Human Rights & Equity Committee Chairpersons met for their regular quarterly meeting to advance ongoing activism, promote workplace equity, and champion meaningful policy improvements across our workplace. Your representatives attending the meeting were Nyachan Chuar (ANC), Soon Kim (HNL), Bruni Agosto-Pinal (pmHA LAX/SEA), Aaron Miller (PDX), Erika Daniel […]

MEC Town Hall Video and Q&A Recap – September 23, 2026

Whether you joined us live or are ready to watch on your own schedule, the full recording of our September 23 MEC Town Hall is now available! Catch up on the discussions and hear directly from our MEC Officers and AFA panelists. Watch the video anytime on our AFA Alaska + Hawaiian YouTube channel using the link below. (Note: […]

Hotel Committee Meeting Recap – September 2026

In September, our Hotel Committee participated in two meetings: the standing monthly meeting with Crew Hotels on September 14, and a Quarterly Business Review (QBR) with the company’s hotel procurement vendor, API, on September 23 (pmAS) and September 24 (pmHA) in Seattle.  Representing you at these meetings were Dori Marron (ANC), Jarod McNeill (SEA pmAS), […]

Register Now: Reserve Webinar – Wednesday, October 21

This message is for pre-merger Alaska Flight Attendants When Crew Scheduling calls at 3 AM with a change to the trip you self-assigned, do you know your contractual rights? Understanding what management can—and cannot—do on reserve is your strongest line of defense. Join our Reserve Committee for “Is This Legal?”, the second installment in our three-part pre-merger […]

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